1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fish cleaning devices and more particularly to fish cleaning devices for use in conjunction with a container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fish cleaning devices are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,885 discloses a fish holding device where fish are supported on base plate and U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,925 discloses a convertible fish cleaning and kitchen board device where fish are secured to the board with a clamping device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,423 discloses a fish cleaning device which may be attached to the gunwale of a fishing boat. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,713,189, 3,785,008, and 3,833,967 disclose fish cleaning devices in which fish are clamped to the upper surfaces of the devices. U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,858 discloses a boat-mountable fish cleaning tray, U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,628 discloses a fish cleaning table for use where it is suspended from a sink and U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,260 discloses a fish filleting kit where the container for the kit functions as a cleaning surface. Still other fish cleaning apparatus are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,991 which shows a fish cleaning station and U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,279 which shows a folding table that is used for cleaning fish.
While some of the foregoing fish cleaning devices are provided with leg structures for supporting the devices from various structures, the present invention is generally directed to a fish cleaning apparatus which may be connected to a trash container so that it may be readily moved to other locations and which may be readily used in unstable environments, such as aboard a small fishing boat.